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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. field — farmland
  5. saw — the tool
  6. fork — in a road
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. saw — the tool
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. cell — in biology
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. tube — a container
  14. field — a subject
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. cell — a phone
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. bank — for money
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. tube — the underground
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. bank — for money
  24. field — for sport

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com